| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Tuesday, December 4, 2001
9:00am ET | |
| • | ABC, ESPN Prepare Four-Year Offer For NBA TV Rights |
| • | Spurs Fans Denied The Chance To See Jordan In Action |
| • | Contraction’s Next Hurdle Approaches Today In TX |
| • | Atlantans Begin To Carry A Torch For The Salt Lake City Winter Games |
| • | Colts’ Seminar Promotes Marketing Skills And Guarantees Sales |
| • | A Lighter Buzz/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
ABC, ESPN MAKE PACKAGED BID FOR NBA TELEVISION RIGHTS
USA TODAY reports ABC and ESPN “have made a combined, four-year offer for the NBA’s television rights, beginning with next season.” The NBA became willing to consider such an offer “after it could not reach an agreement with longtime TV partners NBC and Turner Sports during those carriers’ exclusive negotiating period” (USA TODAY, 12/4).
INJURY BENCHES JORDAN FOR TONIGHT’S GAME IN SAN ANTONIO
The SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS reports that Wizards officials said Monday that Michael Jordan “will not be in uniform for tonight's game against the Spurs” due to a knee injury. Tonight's crowd of almost 35,000 would have been the largest to watch Jordan this season. The Spurs “will not offer refunds or rain checks for the game.” Exec VP/Business Operations Russ Bookbinder said, “We're all disappointed he's not going to play, but unfortunately, injuries are a part of sports” (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 12/4).
MLB ARBITRATOR SHYAM DAS WILL HEAR ARGUMENTS TODAY IN TX
The WASHINGTON POST reports that another “critical week in baseball’s quest to eliminate two teams begins today” in Irving, TX. MLB arbitrator Shyam Das “will begin hearing arguments from the league and the union today regarding the grievance the union filed soon after the owners announced Nov. 6 that they intended to eliminate two teams before next season.” The union contends that contraction “must be bargained as part of a new collective bargaining agreement” (WASHINGTON POST, 12/4).
OLYMPIC TORCH KICKS OFF HAND-TO-HAND RELAY IN ATLANTA
The ATLANTA CONSTITUTION reports that the Olympic torch arrived this morning in Atlanta at 7:05am ET on a Delta Air Lines flight from Greece, where the games originated. Dozens of metro Atlantans then will tote the torch “block by block through the city and the state as it makes its way to Salt Lake City, site of the 2002 Winter Olympics” (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 12/4).
Meanwhile, SLOC President Mitt Romney, when asked what his organization would do if the flame went out: “We’d actually send somebody back [to Athens] to get it.” Romney adds jokingly, “But I did buy five souvenir lighters there in Olympia” (USA TODAY, 12/4).
For a complete listing of the torch’s route through GA, click here.
COLTS MARKET THEIR SKILLS THROUGH PLANNED SEMINAR
The Colts will host a three-hour business seminar, “Tackling Tough Times: A Sales and Marketing Super Bowl,” from 1:30-4:30pm ET today at the Union Federal Football Center. Colts Senior VP/Sales & Marketing Ray Compton: “This program is designed to give people ideas on how to maximize their marketing and increase sales. We guarantee it.” The seminar’s $40 cost “includes a $40 ticket to see the Colts play” the Falcons on December 16. Speakers at the seminar include Mandalay Team Sports President Jon Spoelstra, Predators Exec Dir of Business Operations Tom Ward, and Bill Caskey, author of “Same Game, New Rules” (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 11/26).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
Before today’s CART BOD meeting in Phoenix, KOOL Green Team Owner Barry Green “reaffirmed his team’s commitment to Championship Auto Racing Teams and the CART FedEx Championship.” Green: “I want to state as clearly and firmly as possible that Team Kool Green, along with our technical partner Team Motorola, will be racing in CART in 2002.” CART also received assurances from Brown & Williamson’s Dir of Sponsorship Bert Kremer, who said, “2001 was also a difficult year for CART. But we believe CART is in the process of laying a sound foundation for future success” (ESPN.com, 12/4).
ELECTRONIC MEDIA reports that last Saturday's edition of "SNL," hosted by Yankees SS Derek Jeter, “turned its third highest” rating in HHs this season, as it earned a 7.5/18 overnight Nielsen rating (ELECTRONIC MEDIA, 12/4).
Marlins C Charles Johnson yesterday decided to remain with the team and opted not to become a free agent, and the MIAMI HERALD reports that “not only is Johnson staying, but Marlins assistant general manager Al Avila said Monday he had a conversation with owner John Henry and was told to keep the team together.” Avila also indicated Monday the Marlins will not cut payroll (MIAMI HERALD, 12/4).
The Colorado Springs GAZETTE reports that former Avalanche D Ray Bourque presented a check for $186,000 Monday to the N.Y. Police and Fire Widow's and Children's Benefit Fund. The money was raised November 24, when the Avalanche retired Bourque's No. 77. Twenty-two Bourque jerseys, worn by the team during warm-ups, were auctioned that night. Three bidders paid $30,000 each for three jerseys. The total amount raised was $186,000 (Colorado Springs GAZETTE, 12/4).
TODAY’S EVENTS
The NHL’s BOG meets at the St. Regis Hotel in N.Y. from 9:00-3:00pm. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman will hold a press briefing after today’s meetings (THE DAILY).
Rams WR Isaac Bruce and TE Ernie Conwell will present the team’s “Get Into the Game” video, which promotes positive character development and decision-making, to more than 500 students from 40 area high schools at the Maritz Inc. Auditorium in St. Louis at 10:00am CT (THE DAILY).
Redskins QB Sage Rosenfels will present $25,000 to ten volunteers as part of the Redskins Community Quarterback Award, which recognizes outstanding local volunteers and charitable organizations. The presentation begins at 11:30am ET (THE DAILY).
The Patriots’ 12th annual Cardinal Cushing Holiday party takes place from noon-2:00pm ET at the Kickoff Club in Foxboro Stadium. Players and cheerleaders will visit with 200 children from the Cardinal Cushing School for the Developmentally Delayed (THE DAILY).
The Predators will be at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in Nashville at 1:30pm CT, visiting with the children and making holiday ornaments (THE DAILY).
IN OTHER NEWS…..
Speaking at the Credit Suisse First Boston Media Week (CSFB) conference yesterday in N.Y., AOL Time Warner co-COO Bob Pittman said the company's "global marketing" arrangements across its media portfolio are worth about $1B. Pittman did not “specify if the $1 billion represented the total worth of the deals to the company in 2001 or if it encompassed multiyear values” (AD AGE, 12/4).
Meanwhile, Viacom Chair & CEO Sumner Redstone said during a presentation at the CSFB conference that he is encouraged by recent advertising trends. Redstone: "We have already seen signs of growth at Viacom in recent weeks. Week after week, the trend is up” (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 12/4).
Universal McCann Dir of Forecasting Robert Coen estimated that ad spending in the U.S. “should rise” 2.4% to $239.3B in ‘02, “after sinking an estimated” 4.1% this year, the first annual drop since ’91 (NEWSDAY, 12/4).
The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that MSNBC.com will let go 9% of its 200-person staff and has named Ona Karasa as Exec VP & GM of the entity. Karasa had been Acting GM for three months and before that headed MSNBC's Olympic Web sites, www.saltlake2002.com and www.olympics.com. In her new position, “she will run the day-to-day operations” and report to MSNBC.com President & CEO John Nicol (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 12/4).
The WALL STREET JOURNAL reports, “Facing mounting skepticism that their $26 billion deal will be approved by regulators, EchoStar Communications Corp. and DirecTV Tuesday will begin a flurry of congressional hearings and filings that could help make or break the merger” (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 12/4).
LAUGH TRACK
NBC’s Jay Leno said Homeland Security Dir Tom Ridge “urged Americans to report any suspicious activities to authorities. If you see anything suspicious, you should report it immediately. Like the Detroit Lions making a first down." Leno, on the Lions: "The Lions are now 0-12. No, I'm sorry, that's next week's joke. They're 0-11." Leno, on human cloning: "Why did the Detroit Lions want to clone? So they have somebody they can beat."
Leno, on a Spanish soccer player biting another player in the crotch: "You know why he did that? You see, in soccer, you can't use your hands." ("Tonight Show," NBC, 12/3).
FINAL JEOPARDY QUESTION
Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was "Fictional Places."
"The creator of this Minnesota town says its name is Ojibwa for 'Place where we waited all day for you in the rain.'"
MONDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
FSN’s 10:30pm ET “National Sports Report” led with the BCS Poll.
ESPN’s 12:00am ET “SportsCenter” led with Missouri-St. Louis men’s college basketball.
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
"What is Lake Wobegon?"
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